Folding ironing-board.



C. D. EWELL'I L. V. CALHGUN.

FULDING IRONING BOARD.

' APPLICATION FILED ocT. I2. 1914.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

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3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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I C. D. \EWELL & L. V. CALHOUN.

FOLDING IRONING BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. 1914.

l i. 58,9 l 0 Patented N 0V. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. D. EWELL L L. V. CALHOUN.

FOLDING IRONING BOARD.

APPucAIloN man ocT.12.1914.

191 5991 Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- CLAUDE D. EWELL AND LAWRENCE V. CALHOUN, 0F CICERO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING IRONING-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Batented Nov. 2, 1215.

Application led October 12, 1914. Serial No. 866,258.

specially situated to form a support for an f ironing-board.

The object of the invention is to provideA such a folding frame which will be exceedingly strong and rigid and at thepsame time simple, light and compact.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a specic embodiment of the same.

In this description reference will be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the invention, and in which" Figure 1 is 'a' side elevation of a folding ironing-board constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective vicw of the frame which forms the support for the ironing-board. Fig. 3 is a section of the board and supporting frame taken on the line 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed section taken on the line 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the collapsible brace which connects the legs of the frame.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the ironingboard, which is shown as .of substantially rectangular form, one endbeing tapered, as shown at 11.

Transversely of the lower side of the board is secured a relatively heavy strip 12, the securing means being shown as lag screws 13. The strip 12 forms a base for a strengthening strip 12 to the board may also be conveniently used to secure the hinge member 14.

Pivoted to the down-turned ears 15, as by rivets 16, are leg members, designated as a whole by 17 and 1.8. The leg member 17, as best shown in Fig. 2, is ,in the form of a substantially rectangular frame made up of three lengths of angle-iron, designated 19, 20 and21, respectively, riveted or otherwise secured together and braced bythe intersecting diagonal strips 22. The leg member 18 is also formed of three angle sections,

designated 23, 24 and 25, respectively, and,

as illustrated in Fig. 2, is braced by an intermediate transverseA strip 26. In the eX- tended position of the parts the leg member 17 will stand at a slight angle toy the vertical, while the leg member18 will extend y. downward at a considerable angle so that its bottom end25 will lie beneath the tapered `extremity 11 of the ironing-board. To iX the position of these legs with respect to each other and to prevent them from being spread apart under the weight of the b oard, we provide the collapsible tension members 27 and 28. These members are each pivoted at one end adjacent to the free ends of the leg members 17 and 18, rivets 29 being employedv for this purpose.

' To provide for the collapsing of the tension members 27 and 28 they are each formed as two sections pivoted at their overlapping ends as by rivets 30, the end of one section being in-turned at its upper edge, as shown` at .31, to lie over the recessed edge 32 of the other section.

The construction so far described forms a simple and strong triangular truss for supporting one end of the ironing-board. Thus it will be seen4 that a load applied at the hinge member 14 will be transmitted as a compression force through the leg sections 17 and 18, the tension members 27 and 28 completing the truss. To provide a supportfor the other end of the ironing-board, a third leg section 33 is added. This leg section is made up of vertical angle-irons 34 and hinged at their lower ends as by rivets 36 to the angle-irons 23 and 24 of the leg section 18. For convenience of construction and to permit of the folding of the parts, as will later appear, we prefer to provide gusset-plates 37 throughV which the rivets 36 pass. The upper ends of the angleirons 33 and 34A are connected by a transverse strip 38, and the third leg section is braced by intersecting diagonals 40 Jiimilar to the diagonals 22. Extending between the intersections of the diagonal braces 40 and 22 is a tension spring 41. Preferably, this spring is connectedto oneof the bracesby a length of chain, as represented at 42,' for reasons which will later appear.

The under-side of the board adjacent its tapered end 11 is provided with a cleat 43 extending transversely the boardas shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and having an inner corner rabbeted out, as at 44, to receive the upper bar 38 of the leg section 33. lVe also preferably provide a second .cleat 431 mounted a short distance in front of the cleat 43. As shown in Fig. 1, t-he arc struck by the leg section intersects the board 10 at two points, and it is therefore possible to support the board in its normal horizontal position by a cleat at either of these intersection points. We prefer to use bothv cleats, for a purpose which will later appear.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the left-hand end of the board isvsupported by the apex of the triangular truss formed of the leg sectionsI 17 and 1S and the tension members 27 and '28, and that the right-hand end of the board is supported by the propping leg 33, this leg being held in its upper surface will not tend to cause tiltposition 1n the groove of the cleat 43, both .by reason of its inclination from the vertical and by the tension of the spring 41. The bearing ends 21 and 25 of the leg sections 17 and 18 lie approximately beneath the left and right-hand ends of the board, respectively, and the board is therefore wholly stable,-that is, a load applied at any point of ing. It will also be seen that the leg section 18 and the propping leg 33 form substantially a second triangular truss.

In order to fold or collapse the frame Which forms the support for the ironingboard the propping leg 33 is drawn back.

against the tension of the spring 41 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The end 11 of the board may then be ele- 'vated, swinging about the hinge rivets 1G to permit the propping leg to pass under the cleat 43 and to lie flush with the leg section 18, as shown indotted. lines in Fig. 1. The end of the board 11 may then be permitted to drop downwardly to lie parallel with the leg sections 18 and 33. The tension members 27 and 28 may then be collapsed, that is, bent upwardly, pivoting at their ends and middle to draw the leg section 17 toward the section 18, and in the fully collapsed or folded position of the parts all three leg sections and the board itself will lie inl substantially the same plane.

By our construction, therefore, we are enof the efficient truss design which may be readily collapsed or folded, and in this condition occupies very little space. It is a common fault of light folding-table constructions that the table will creep under intermittent loads, such as are applied when using the table as an ironing-board. Thus, the application of a load has a tendency to spread the legs of the table, and, in general, one leg will slide over the floor farther than the other, due to its greater angularity or greater load, or some other condition. The release of the load will then permit the legs to draw back to their normal position, and in so *doing the table, as a, Whole, is apt to move longitudinally. To prevent this creeping action it is necessary that the frame construction be so rigid that the legs will not spread or give perceptibly under a load. The present construction is found to be entirely free from the objection of creep- 111g. i f

A further advantage of the construction may be pointed out in that it permits one en d supporting prop so that a skirtorany article of circular form may be passed over'the board to the middle section thereof, and the prop again be locked in place very readily. The dotted lines in Fig. 1` illustrate the manner in which this operation may be carried out. 1f the skirt or other article to-be passed over the board is ofunusual length, the propping leg may be moved to the cleat 431, which Will give a greater distance between supports to accommodate such a condition. The cleat 43 and strip 12 are sutticiently strong to resist anyI tendency of the boardto warp.` 1t will also be noted that the chain section 42, by which one end of the spring 41 is secured, permits the spring to hang freely without. buckling when the leg section 17 and propping leg 33 are collapsed to lie in the same plane.

W'hile we have shown and described in considerable detail a specific form of our inlOl) vention, it will be understood that such showing and description is illustrative only, and that We do not regard our invention as limited thereto, except in so far -as such limitations are included within the following claims, in which it is our intention to claim as our own all patentable novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as the prior art will permit.

That we claim as new and desire to secure. by Letters Patent is z 1. A folding-table comprisingr a top member having a cross-bar secured to the underside near one end thereof, a leg-section hinged at one end to said cross-bar. a second leg-section hinged at one. end coaxially with said first leg-section. a collapsible tenl second frame hinged at one end co-aXiallyy leg may be swung away fromsaid second leg-section to extend forwardly and vform a support for the other end of said top member.' Y

2. A folding-table,comprising a top member having a cross-bar secured to the underside near one end thereof, a substantially rectangular frame forming a leg-section and hinged along one end to said cross-bar, a

with said first frame, collapsible tension means connecting said frames adjacent their free ends, whereby said frames may be swung apart to form a triangular truss supporting one end of said top member, and a4 lthird frame forming a propping leg and hinged `at one end transversely of said second frame and adjacent the free end of the latter, whereby said third frame may be swung away from said second frame to extend upwardly and form a support for the other end of said top member.

, 3. A folding-table comprising a top mem ber having a cross-bar secured to the underside uear one end thereof, a. leg-section hinged at one endy to said cross-bar and adapted to extend downwardly at an angle to lie beneath the said en d of said top member, a second vleg-section hinged at one end co-axially with said first leg-section and adapted to extendl downwardly at a con.

siderable angle to lie beneath the opposite end of said top member, a collapsible tension member connecting said leg-sections adjacent their Vfree ends, and a propping leg hinged at one end to said second leg-section 'adjacent its free end and adapted to extend upwardly to support the last-named end of said top member.

4,. A folding-table comprising a top member having a cross-bar secured to the underside near one end thereof, asubstantially rectangular frame forming a leg-section and hinged along one end to said cross-bar, a second frame hinged at one end co-aXially with said lfirst frame, collapsiblel tension members lconnecting said frames adjacent their free ends, whereby said frames may be swung apart to form a triangular truss supporting the said-end of said top member, a thirdframe hinged at one end transversely of said second frameand adjacent the free end of the latter', whereby said third frame may 1kie-swung away from lsaid second frame togextend upwardly and form a support for the other end of said top member, and means for securing the free end of said third frame to said top member, g

5. A folding-table comprising a top mem- .hinged at one end to saidcross-bar, a second leg` section hinged at one end to said top member and co-axially with said first legsection, a collapsible tension member connecting said leg sections adjacent their free ends, whereby said legs may be swung apart at divergent angles to form a truss supporting one end of said top member, a propping leg hinged at one end to said second leg section at the point of attachment of said tension-member andadapted to swing in an arc intersecting the normal horizontal line of said top member at two points, a tension spring connected to said propping-leg at one end and to said first-named leg-section at the other' end, and means held in engagement b v said spring for securing said propf ping leg to said top member at either of the said points, for the purpose set forth.

An ironing board comprising a top plate, upstanding and inclined legs pivotally connected therewith, brace bars pivotally supported on said inclined legs and having a bearing on the underside of said top plate for supporting it in a horizontal position, and locking bars having a toggle joint therein connecting the lower portions of said inclined legs and said upstanding legs and bracing them against relative movement, substantially as described.

7. An ironing board comprising .a top plate, upstanding legs pivotally connected therewith, inclined legs pivotally connected therewith near said upstanding legs, brace bars pivotally supported on said inclined legs and having a cross bar at their upper ends, blocks mounted on the underside of said plate and having sockets to receive said cross bar, one of said blocks` being near the Aend of said plate and the other near the midp dle portion thereof, the engagement-of said bar with the middle block on said plate adapting the board for vironing skirts, and braces connecting the lower portion of said inclined legs with said upright legs, for the purpose specified.

8. An ,ironing board comprising a top plate, having a cross bar secured to the underside near one end thereof, a plurality of leg sections having pivots on said cross bar, brace bars pivotally supported on one of said leg sections and having a cross bar at skirts, and braces connecting the lower portheir upper ends, blocks mounted on the untions of said leg sections, for the purpose 1J derside of said' plate and having sockets to specified.

receive said cross bar, one of said blookslne- CLAUDE D. EWELL.

ing near the end of said plate .and the other LAWRENCE V. CALHOUN. near the. middle portion thereof, the engageln presence of ment of said cross bar with the middle block GEORGE MGCLELLAND,

on said plete adapting the board for ironing HERBERT Gr. TAYLOR, 

